Village council looking after its residents

May 23, 2014

It appears cameras could help with safety in the village of Rogers, following a traffic study conducted along two of the main roadways - state Route 7 and state Route 154 - that bisect the community.

The study, performed April 6-15 by Optotraffic LLC, showed nearly 85 percent of the 44,927 vehicles that traveled Route 7 through Rogers had exceeded the posted 35 mph limit. Of those, 12,850 motorists exceeded 50 mph and another 77 were clocked in excess of 70 mph.

The village dissolved its police department in 2013, due to a lack of funds. To its credit, village council is attempting to do what it can to perhaps return a police presence to its community.

By installing these cameras, the village would obviously be hindering speeding and thus return a safety element back to its residents. We applaud village officials who have stated the safety of those within their community is of utmost importance.

These cameras, it seems, also would return money into village coffers. The Optotraffic system generated $1.2 million in traffic fine revenue in its first year to Newburgh Heights, a village of 2,167 near Cleveland.

And by generating revenue, Rogers officials could then look into hiring law enforcement, which is something the village has hinted at doing.

Rogers has yet to make a decision on the cameras, wanting to receive a legal opinion, and ultimately officials there may chose another direction.

But, to us, their willingness in seeking ways to eliminate a problem shows us their dedication to the community they serve.